There is a diversity of positions with respect to vegetarianism and much confusion about those differences. Freeganism seems particularly difficult for people, as is the thought that I sometimes might eat a dairy product. For me, vegetarianism/veganism is worthwhile because of health, ethical, and ecological reasons. (I was initially primarily concerned with animal welfare, but fortunately all these reasons are sufficient and strongly interrelated.) While some are rather dogmatic in the defense or criticism of a particular type of vegetarianism, I believe my current understanding is straightforward: it is important to choose alternatives to animal products which then delivers numerous benefits and creates opportunities for more alternatives and for other people to adopt them. Presently, abstaining from meat is quite easy -- actually it is a strong preference -- but when I started it was not so. Currently, I opt for vegan alternatives wherever I can.
While I was a vegetarian long before I took a shine to Buddhism, the confusion about vegetarianism existed millennia ago and differences within Buddhism persist. Indeed, Buddha's envious and divisive cousin, Devadatta, attempted to split the community (sangha) by advocating for a more rigidly ascetic monastic rule for the monks (bikkhus), including a stricter form of vegetarianism. (Earlier the Buddha himself had nearly starved himself as an ascetic but realized that wasn't solving anything.) Or, sometimes people would start rumors that the Sangha permitted animals to be slaughtered for them. In response to this latter accusation the Buddha responded well with respect to the intention of compassion, pragmatism, and the practice of begging; the monks ("bhikkhus" or "beggers") monks were mendicants:
"Jivaka, people do not speak the truth when they say I allow animals to be killed to provide food for myself and the bhikkhus. I have, in fact, spoken on this matter a number of times. If a bhikkhu sees someone killing an animal for the purpose of offering it as food to the bhikkhus, the bhikkhu must refuse it. Even if he doesn't actually see the animal being killed, but is told it was killed on his behalf, he must refuse it. Furthermore, if he merely suspects it may have been killed on his behalf, he must refuse it. Jivaka, according to the practice of begging, a bhikkhu accepts whatever is offered unless an animal has been killed on the bhikkhu's behalf. People who understand the bhikkhus vows of compassion offer only vegetarian food to the monks. But sometimes a person only has food that has been prepared with meat. Also, persons who have not had previous contact with the Buddha, Dharma, and the Sangha do not know that the bhikkhus prefer vegetarian food. In such situations, the bhikkhu accepts whatever is offered to avoid offending the giver and to create an opportunity for contact so that the person they learn about the Path of Liberation. Jivaka, someday all the people will understand that bhikkhus do not want animals to be killed. At that time, no one will offer meat to the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus will be able to eat only vegetarian food. (Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path White Clouds, p. 395-396).
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